Torihito's Nuzlocke Challenge: Emerald
by torihito
Summary: Part 2! Please read Platinum first! Nick continues his quest to complete the Nuzlocke challenge, this time travelling to the Hoen region. What dangers will he face and what tragedies will strike this time around? Rated M for death, violence and language
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A New Beginning**

The moving van bounced down the road. I can only assume it was a dirt country road because of all the bumps and hills that it was hitting, knocking me around like a rag-doll. I grunted in displeasure, readjusting my position in the back for the thousandth time. _It wouldn't have killed the guy to let me ride in the cab, would it?_ I thought, annoyed with my situation. _How did this even happen? I'm famous, the guy who beat Cynthia, why am I sneaking into Hoen in the back of a moving van?_

The answer, of course, was in the question. After my rather spectacular battle with Cynthia, which was broadcast all over the nation of Sinnoh, I had gathered a fairly large following. Because of that, I was swarmed by fans on the boat that I was supposed to have been taking to Slateport City. It got to the point that, once I arrived in Slateport, I went into hiding to avoid being mobbed. I waited for a few days and changed my appearance before bribing this truck driver to let me ride in the back on the way to Littleroot Town, the home of Professor Birch.

The truck bounced again, dislodging a box from the stack next to me. It crashed to the floor, and popped open. I scoffed, marveling at the shitty job the movers had done in packing their stuff. _Who the hell would hire these guys?_ I thought. Something shiny caught my attention and I noticed a Potion sitting in the box. _Well, it's not like they're going to miss it. _I snatched the bottle of medicine and put it in my new bag. As I did, I spotted a mirror, the shiny thing I had seen earlier. Reaching in, I gently lifted it out of the box, examining my new appearance.

I had ditched the bucket hat, letting my hair go unhindered. It had grown out a fair bit, and now it was starting to get in my eyes. My glasses were still there, like I could have done anything about them in the first place. The beginnings of a beard were starting to grow in, small hairs lining my chin. I decided that I looked different enough that no one would recognize me. As for clothes, I still wore the same basic outfit I had gotten back in Sinnoh. "I need something different." I said out loud, leaning to put the mirror down.

Suddenly the van lurched again, hitting yet another pothole. The mirror flew out of my hands and crashed into the floor, shattering. I winced, feeling somewhat guilty for breaking someone elses stuff. _I'll leave some money for them_ I thought, putting the rest of the winnings I had gotten from winning the Sinnoh league in the box. I noticed a set of boys clothing in there as well, someone about my size I realized when I took them out. I grabbed what appeared to be a hat of some kind. It had a green band, with white spikes sticking out of the top. "Who would even wear this?" I asked, discarding it. "Here we go" I said, grabbing some other items and quickly changing into the new clothes.

I wore a burnt orange vest with black stripes down the sides under the arms. Underneath was a basic white t-shirt, covering my arms somewhat. Instead of jeans, I wore a pair of tan cargo pants, that were pretty baggy on me. I kept the shoes and gloves, though, deciding that those wouldn't give my identity away. Folding up my old clothes and putting them back, I heard the tires screeching as the van slowed to a stop. I grabbed my bag and tried my best to keep my balance, which wasn't easy. I managed, and before I knew it, the back door opened. A big burly guy in a white wife-beater stood there, his Vigoroth and Machoke flanking him. "End of the ride." he grunted.

"What the hell does that mean?" I said, stepping forward. "I paid to take me all the way to Littleroot."

"Yeah, ya did." the man replied. "And we're here. On the outskirts of town. But I'm not pulling up to my customah's house wit some homeless guy in da back. Now git out." The Machoke cracked its knuckles pointedly. Funny, he reminded me of Armstrong.

"Alright, alright, I get it." I muttered, hopping down to the road (it was dirt, and filled with potholes). I took a few steps away from the van as they closed the doors, looking around. The surrounding area was mostly flat, with enough trees to provide decent cover for the pokemon that lived in the wilds. The air was warm, pleasant for spring-time, and the sun hung high in the sky. I slung by bag, a green pack with a black pokeball symbol, over my shoulder and started off down the road towards the small town that I could only assume was Littleroot.

I got to Littleroot not to long afterward. The moving van had passed me on the road, and as I walked around town, I spotted them in front of a house. The driver was having an argument with an older woman, as well as a young boy who wore the hat that I had discarded. I veered away quickly, not only because I was probably wearing his clothes, but also because of the mean look he was giving the driver. He was _pissed_. Walking past the house next door, I was intercepted by a small green creature hitting me in the face.

"Argh! What the hell!?" I yelled, holding my bruised nose and glaring at the offending pokemon. It was a Treecko, a little reptilian pokemon. It glared at me with its large yellow eyes and crossed its arms, as if I was in the wrong for having been in the way. Hurried footsteps alerted me to another presence, and I glanced up to see a girl running over. She was about my age, with long brown hair that was parted into two ponytails. She had a green bandana on over her head, along with a red blouse. Black biker shorts were peeking out under the shirt.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" she asked, running up to me and the lizard. "I was training with Emmy here and she must have gotten carried away."

"Emmy?" I asked, glancing back at the, apparently female, Treecko.

"Oh, right, this is Emerald, or Emmy for short. She's the starter pokemon I got from my dad. I'm May, by the way. May Birch." the girl said, curtseying slightly.

"Oh, so you're Birch's kid? Do you have any idea where he is, I wanted to talk with him about getting a pokemon." My question seemed to interest her.

"Are you the brother of that guy over there?" she asked, pointing at the family moving in next door. "He was looking to get a pokemon too."

"Uh, no actually. I'm new in town, wanted to get a fresh start on things." I replied, hoping that that would be enough. I instinctively rubbed the back of my right hand, where the Nuzlocke symbol was hidden under the glove.

Thankfully, May didn't seem to notice. "That's fine. But, either way, you're a little out of luck. Dad's gone out to do research, and he won't be back until tomorrow." she said.

"Aw, really?" I whined. "I really wanted to get things started today. Which way did he go, I might be able to catch up to him."

She pointed north, down the alley between the houses. "He's out on Route 101, but I don't think-hey!" she called as I took off, running in the direction she pointed.

"Sorry, but I've got to go!" I yelled back, weaving through houses and across streets to get to the route she had pointed out. Thankfully, the town was small enough that I got there in record time. However, there was no one to be seen. The route was a straight path, with small clumps of grass here and there. Trees lined the edges, creating a small wood. I sighed, starting to trudge back into town when I heard a yell.

"Help! Somebody help!" the voice called. I hesitated, before deciding I had to do something and ran toward the voice. Heading into the trees, I found the source of the disturbance. A man was up in a tree, wearing a white lab coat over a blue shirt and tan shorts. He was a large man, a little out of shape, which made that fact that he was up a tree impressive. He had brown hair, and a thick shaggy beard across his chin. When he saw me, his eyes filled with tears of joy. "Oh thank god you heard me! I need your help!" he cried. "I was doing research when I was chased up here by this ferocious beast. Please, can you use one of the pokemon in my bag there and help me?" he said indicating the bag on the ground.

At first I was confused, because I didn't see a ferocious beast. Then I looked at the base of the tree, and spotted a Zigzagoon. The raccoon pokemon was a foot-tall quadruped, with white stripes zig-zaging down it's brown, spiky fur. It looked at me at the same time I spotted it, and growled.

"Mean, yes. Ferocious beast? I don't think so." I said, calmly walking up to the bag. The Zigzagoon growled again, but kept its distance. I looked through it, coming across three pokeballs. Each was labeled, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip. I looked back up at Birch in his tree. "Hey, I was meaning to ask you, can I have a pokemon? I mean, the one I choose, can I keep it?"

Birch looked exasperated. "Can you- I don't- what?" he sputtered. The Zigzagoon turned its attention back to him from the outburst, barking at him. "Ah! Okay, fine, you can keep it! Just get this thing away from me!" he yelled.

"Just what I wanted to hear." I muttered, grabbing the ball labeled Mudkip. "Come on out then." I called, tossing the pokeball into the air. In a burst of light, Mudkip appeared. He was a little taller than the Zigzagoon, his blue body coated in a light slime. Bright orange cheeks covered the sides of his head, and hit fin twitched, testing the surroundings. He locked eyes with the Zigzagoon and grinned.

"Alright, a battle!" he cried, taking me by surprise. I knew the pokemon that I caught could speak to me, but I didn't expect the Mudkip to talk this early. He looked back, noticing me. "You're my trainer, right? Let's go!" he said.

His gung-ho attitude was kinda startling. I was caught up in the pace he decided to set, which apparently was "go all out". "Alright, if you say so. Tackle!" I ordered. Mudkip wasted no time, charging forward and slamming into the side of the brown rodent. Zigzagoon was caught off guard, its attention focused once more on Birch. After a blow like that, however, I wasn't surprised to see the wild pokemon give Mudkip its full attention. It barked viciously as it charged forward, returning Mudkips tackle attack with one of its own. To Mudkips credit, he wasn't all bluff. He took the blow with ease, hitting right back hard enough to send the little critter scurrying away into the woods.

"Sweet! We did it!" I cheered, kneeling down to give Mudkip a low-five. "You're pretty tough little guy."

"Yep! I'm the toughest pokemon in Littleroot!" he boasted. There was a small silence before he suddenly jumped back. "Hold it! You can understand me!?" he yelped, clearly just realizing this.

I raised an eyebrow. "Not very bright, are you?" I teased, chuckling. "Yeah, I'll explain that later. Right now, let's get the Professor out of the tree."

It took some doing, but we eventually coaxed the older man to climb down, guiding his steps so he didn't fall and hurt himself. Getting a better look at him, he was actually a little shorter than me, though certainly still bigger because of his weight. He was also quite a bit younger than Rowan, easily still in his thirties. "Thank you so much!" he gasped, shaking my hand. "That battle showed me that you really know how to handle a pokemon. Have you trained pokemon before?"

I felt no need to lie to the man, and in fact, wanted to fill him in on the details anyway. "Yeah, actually, my name's Nick. I was on the news recently."

Slowly, recognition filled the older mans face, which quickly turned into a scowl. "The Nuzlocker." he growled. "Yes, I know you. You're the one who puts pokemon in danger, just so he can play a sick game."

"What?" I was quite taken aback. "No, no, no, you've got it all wrong!"

"Do I?" Birch asked. "I saw your battle against Cynthia. Two of your pokemon died, in that match alone!" His words stung, reminding me of the all-to-recent wounds that were Rose and Redwood. "I can't even imagine how many have died in your stupid little game!"

"Nine." I growled. "Do you want their names? Brittany, Franklin, Lin, Trish, Sora, Armstrong, Lola, Rose, and Redwood. I remember all of them, on top of the ones still in Sinnoh. I'm not going to justify myself to you, or explain why I took this challenge. But don't think, even for a second, that I take any kind of pleasure in my teammates dying, or that I don't care. Because every death is another reminder of the cost of what I'm doing."

"And what is it exactly that you're doing?" Birch asked, his voice losing a little of its resentment. "What's the end game here? Fame, fortune? The right to say you've won?"

I paused, thinking. _What _is_ the reward here? Nuzlocke said I get to go home, but other than that, what? Am I just doing this to get home? Or is Birch right, and I'm really after the challenge, the right to say that I've done it? Is that wrong?_ His question had shook me, and my silence showed it.

"I appreciate your honesty." Birch said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "And I especially appreciate you coming to help me. But I cannot in good faith let you take this Mudkip. It would be like killing him myself."

"What!?" both the Mudkip and myself shouted at once.

"You heard me, _both_ of you." he added sternly, looking down at the little blue reptile. "You have no idea what this person has been through, what _you_ will go through if you go with him. I won't allow it."

"I don't think you have a choice." I sighed, reaching down to pick up Mudkip, who squirmed a little in my hands. "You said that you would give him to me before the battle. One of the side-effects of the challenge is that I can talk with my pokemon. I've been able to hear this little guy since I sent him out of the pokeball." I examined him, ignoring his light protests before I finally found what I was looking for. "Here, see?" I asked, showing Birch the pokemons white underbelly. Imprinted on it, like a tattoo, was the black mark of Nuzlocke. "He's part of this now, whether you like it or not."

Birch was speechless. I used the opportunity to put Mudkip down, who shot me an annoyed glance before returning his attention to the professor. "I can't allow it." Birch whispered.

"No, you _have_ to allow it." I corrected. "The rules of Nuzlocke are already in place, and believe me when I tell you you do not want to break those rules."

Another pause. "Fine." he said, finally. "You can keep him. But, only if you can prove that you will protect him, that you will do your best in order to ensure not only his safety, but the safety of every pokemon you catch."

"I can't promise that." I said. "But I can try."

"You're going to have to." Birch muttered. "Because I'm not letting you go until you've proven yourself against May."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Conflicted**

The between Littleroot Town and Odale Town was pretty well worn. From what I could see from the map of Hoen I had grabbed before leaving Sinnoh, it was less than a days walk between the two settlements and there was probably plenty of foot traffic between them. I walked at a brisk pace, enjoying the breeze as I reflected on the task ahead of me. Professor Birch was adamant that I battle his daughter May and her Treecko in order to prove myself or something. I had met the pair earlier that day, and I could tell that they would be a tough match.

Speaking of which, I had tried my best to ignore the Donphan in the room as they might say and hadn't said anything to the Mudkip that was dutifully walking by my side. I sighed deeply, knowing that it wasn't going to last and that I might as well get it over with. "So, got any questions for me?" I asked him.

The little blue amphibian shook his head. "No, not really." he said, surprising me.

"Really? No questions at all?" I asked. "Nothing about who Nuzlocke is, or what the risks are, or even the rules?"

"No, I kinda got the gist of it when you were arguing with the Professor." he replied. "You can talk with your pokemon, which is super cool. And if they get hurt enough in battle, they die, which is super _not_ cool."

I nodded. "Yeah, that's most of it. You are missing one detail. I can only catch the first pokemon I see in any given area. And no repeats."

"Really? That sucks." he replied. "But, in the end you're only gonna need me, right? Cause I'm the biggest, toughest Mudkip around, and everyone knows it!" He held his head up high and put a bit of swagger in his step as he boasted.

"You've got quite the opinion of yourself." I chuckled. "But don't get in over your head. The danger is real, and the last thing you or I want if to loose a teammate, or yourself." There was a pause as we continued on our stroll. "By the way, do you have a name?" I asked, feeling embarrassed that I hadn't asked before.

"No, I don't think so. Most of the starter pokemon at the Lab don't get nicknames because the trainers might want to name them." he explained. "And I don't have a name I got in the wild like some other pokemon I know. So I guess you have to pick a name out for me." His voice rose a little, excitement ringing through it.

"So the honor falls to me, eh?" I asked, smirking a bit as I gripped my chin in mock deep thought. "That's gonna be a hard one. You're tough, reckless, and think you're the biggest guy around. Also, where I come from, Mudkips are kind of a big thing. Real popular with the people I like to hang out with, they like them a lot. Oh, I've got it!" I stopped, kneeling down as the Mudkip moved in front of me, his body wriggling as he could barely contain his excitement. It was pretty endearing how happy he was about the idea of getting a name.

"From now on, your name is Leeroy." I said, patting him on the head, his dorsal fin slipping between my fingers.

"Leeroy? Who's that?" he asked, curious about his namesake.

"He's uh... a warrior. From... a very far place." I muttered as I got to my feet. _Oh god, how do I explain the concept of a videogame to a character _from_ a videogame?_ "He likes to fight and charge right in to battle, so I think it's the perfect name for you. Plus, he's pretty famous, so that can't hurt."

"Wow! That's awesome!" Leeroy declared. "Did he fight in many battles?"

"Uh, there is one that I know about." I said sheepishly. "It, uh, didn't end well for Leeroy."

The smile faded from the blue creatures face. "Oh." he mumbled, looking at the ground. It was all just so sad that I had to do something about it.

"Hey, don't do that. Leeroy fell fighting many magical dragons, and in his life he helped bring joy to many people." I explained, trying my best to cheer him up. "Besides, we're not exactly like him. We're gonna go all the way to the Hoen League, and take down Steven! Are you with me?"

Leeroy immediately piped up. "Yeah! Let's go!" he called, charging down the path. I had to run after him to keep up, but I didn't mind. At least he was feeling better.

It wasn't long before we arrived at Odale Town. The sun was still high enough in the sky that you would call it day, but it was threatening to start setting any moment. Leeroy and I had eaten an early dinner on the way, and were about to head out to the next route. According to the Professor, May was gathering information on Route 103, north of Odale town. We started on our way, moving through the town. It was a pretty suburban kind of place, small little shops and houses spread out here and there. The roads were dirt and there wasn't a single building over two stories tall. It had a nice little small-town charm to it that I didn't dislike. That being said, it wasn't even close to the size of Twinleaf Town in Sinnoh, let alone Jublife.

A flash of green caught my attention and snapped me out of my daze. I looked up and around, eyes locking on to the source. May was walking on the other side of the street, heading back towards Littleroot. _Wow, how lucky is that?_ I thought.

"Hey May!" I called, running over, Leeroy at my side. She glanced around at the sound of her name before noticing me.

"Oh, hey! You're the guy who ran off after I told him where Dad was." she grumbled. Clearly she wasn't happy about the way our last encounter had ended, and to be honest I was a little embarrassed about it myself. I shuffled my feet a bit and glanced away, not wanting to make eye contact. "So what do you want?" she asked roughly.

"Hm? Oh, right, uh you're Dad wanted me to come find you." I said, remembering why I was here. "He gave me this Mudkip, but he seems to think I shouldn't have him unless I can beat you. So what do you say? Wanna battle?"

Mays eyes widened a bit and she looked down at the Mudkip at my feet. "Dad said that? Really? That's not like him at all." she muttered. "Hold on a moment." She reached into her bag and pulled out a strange device. It was yellow, and slightly pear shaped, with a black hinge on one side. It was split down the middle, a blue button in the center making it look slightly like a pokeball. She pressed the button, making the top half flip up into and revealing a screen.

"What's that?" I asked, leaning in to get a better look.

"It's my PokeNav. Now back off a little, I need to call Dad." May said testily. I did as she said, not wanting her to sick her vicious little Treecko on me. I heard a bit of the conversation, but mostly ignored it. Instead, I was looking down at my PokeTech, still attached to my wrist. _I never thought about it, but I can't make phone calls with this thing, can I? I might have to pick up one of those PokeNavs._ Then I remembered that I had no money, and let the idea drop.

May hung up her phone and gave me a suspicious glance. "Is what my Dad said true?" she asked. "Are you really the Nuzlocker that beat Cynthia?"

I sighed. _Another person that knows. Why did Nuzlocke make me try to keep this a secret?_ _The whole damn League knows!_ "Yes, that's me. But don't worry about battling me, the team I used to beat Cynthia is safe back at Sinnoh. But I can't start my journey here without your dads permission apparently."

May's expression didn't relax as she looked from me to Leeroy and back. "And what if I refuse? What if I don't want to let you take that pokemon, let him die in your challenge?"

"That's not your call to make." I said, already tired of this conversation. I picked Leeroy up and showed her his belly. "See the mark? He's a part of this, whether you like it or not." I put the annoyed pokemon down. "I tried explaining that to your Dad, but he wouldn't listen."

"I can see why. Dad doesn't like violence. Even normal pokemon battles upset him. So the idea that a pokemon would die because of one would probably be his worst nightmare." May explained. "I'm a little more tolerant that he is. I don't mind battling wild pokemon that attack me. But this..." she paused, looking conflicted.

I decided to try to give her a way out. "Look, the rules of the Nuzlocke state that I cannot decline a challenge offered to me by another trainer. So unless you actually challenge me, we don't have to battle. But I have to take Leeroy with me. And yes, there is a chance that he'll die because of this challenge. But like I explained to your dad, it isn't something that I take lightly. Every death that's happened since I took up this challenge weighs heavily on me. Adding more to that isn't on my list of things to do. But I'm also not naive enough to think that no one is going to get hurt. Thinking like that has cost me. So I'm gonna leave it up to you. You can walk away, right now, and tell your dad that we battled and I won. Or we can battle. It's your choice."

May was silent for a long time. Finally, she nodded, as if reassuring herself. "I believe you when you say you don't wish to harm your pokemon. But I can't let you go either." she looked down at Leeroy. "I'm sorry, but if defeating you here means that no more pokemon get hurt, I have to do it."

My eyes widened as she sent out her Treecko, Emerald. _She wants to stop me here_ I realized. _She's willing to sacrifice Leeroy if it means stopping me._ The thought of it got my blood boiling. I had barely known the little guy for a day and I was already starting to bond with him. She must have helped _raise_ him and she was willing to let him die, just like that. That was something that I was not going to accept.

"Leeroy, use Tackle! Don't let them win!" I yelled. True to his namesake, Leeroy didn't hesitate, charging right into the other pokemon. Emerald was tough, stronger than any wild pokemon I would find around here, but Leeroy was just as strong.

"Use Pound!" May ordered. Emerald brought back a fist, bringing it down onto Leeroys head. He backed off, whining and shaking his head. He seemed pretty aggravated about getting hit, and retaliated with another Tackle. Emerald took the hit a little less well than last time, sliding back a few inches. Once again, she brought her fist down on Leeroys head, forcing him to retreat.

"Leeroy, the direct approach isn't working. Look for a different opening." I said, talking strategy. He nodded and went into a battle stance, legs spread slightly apart, head low. Emerald was in her own defensive position, fists raised and poised to lash out. Suddenly, Leeroy charged forward again, only this time he wasn't moving directly towards the enemy Treecko, but around her, in order to attack from the side. _Great idea_ I thought, proud of the little guy.

Unfortunately, May seemed to be an experienced trainer. "Emmy, stop him with Leer." she called. Right as Leeroy turned to tackle Emerald in the side, the lizard locked eyes with him and shot him a look that would freeze hell. It made him trip, falling past Emerald instead of hitting her. As he passed, she lashed out at him, hitting his side harshly.

Something about that last hit made Leeroy mad. He got to his feet and whipped around, using Tackle again. Instead of ramming her with his shoulder, he slapped her full force with the flat of his tail. The large surface area made the blow much harsher, and Emerald was sent tumbling back, fainted.

Leeroy jumped up and cheered. "I did it!" he cried happily, running over to me and jumping up into my arms. "Now we get to go on an adventure!"

I chuckled. _Did he even realize what danger he was in?_ That thought reminding me, I turned my attention back to May, who was returning her fallen pokemon. "I guess I win." I said.

She nodded. "You're a good trainer, I can tell." she said. "But being a good trainer isn't everything. You're tough enough to beat a champion. But how many were lost on the way? How many were lost in that battle alone?" She turned, walking towards Littleroot. "I want you to be careful. Think tactically. For their sake more than anything."

I sighed, putting Leeroy down as I moved towards the towns PokeCenter, the sun setting on my left. _She acts like I don't already know that_. I glanced down at Leeroy, still grinning happily over his second victory. _Still, she has a point. While I can't plan for everything, I have to make sure that I do my best. For them._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Thief and the Gangster**

The next morning, I was awake and ready to get my next adventure started bright and early. Leeroy, however, seemed to have a different agenda entirely. Despite, or perhaps because of, how excited he was the night before, he was now passed out on the floor of the rented room, not responding to any of my attempts to rouse him. _Oh well,_ I thought. _Guess I'll just pick up some pokeballs from the local mart then. He should be awake by the time I'm done._ I put him back in his pokeball for safekeeping and gathered my meager supplies. I had left the country of Sinnoh without most of my stuff. I didn't take any potions or antidotes or any kind of healing items. I knew it was stupid, but it somehow felt wrong to start a new journey with a bag full of Full Restores and Ethers. I had also left my map of Sinnoh, knowing it would do me little good, along with just about everything else except my PokeTech and bag.

"Alright, first things first." I muttered to myself as I stepped out of the automatic doors of the PokeCenter. I had asked the Nurse Joy at the front desk where I could get some basic trainer supplies, and she was more than happy to help. As it turned out, to my utter lack of surprise, most new trainers came through Odale Town, so the little community thrived on giving young trainers the basics they would need. I stopped by a few shops, grabbing a small tent along with a sleeping bag and a lantern. Hoen was smaller than Sinnoh, but the towns were farther between each other, and the terrain rougher. It could take a few days to get from one city to the next, especially in the north. I tried to download an app on my PokeTech for a map of Hoen, but it didn't seem to want to work right. Sighing in defeat, I had given in and purchased a paper map. My last stop of the day was the PokeMart, from which I bought a generous supply of pokeballs.

"Okay, let's see if Sleeping Beauty is up yet." I said aloud, releasing Leeroy from his pokeball. I was standing on the outskirts of Odale Town, near Route 101 that I had passed through yesterday. Turns out I was correct, and Leeroy was up and at 'em when I released him from his tiny red and white ball.

"Huh? Back on 101?" he asked, looking around.

"Yep." I acknowledged. "I managed to get some pokeballs with the cash I won from May. So I decided we should work on building our team." I reached into my bag and pulled out my map. "According to this, there are three routes branching off of Odale Town. We can get one partner from each, then spend the rest of the day training. After that, it'll be an easy trip to Petalburg." I put the map away, glancing down at my starter. "Ready for this?" I asked.

"Absolutely! Let's go see our new pals!" he exclaimed, charging into the tall grass.

"Leeroy, wait!" I yelped, tearing after him. _He's going to get himself killed if he keeps doing that _I grumbled darkly.

It didn't take to long, but Leeroy and I managed to find a pokemon from both Routes 101 and 103. The first one was a male Poochyena that was part of a pack Leeroy recklessly ambushed. The rest were scared off by the water-types confident aura, but not the biggest one of the bunch. He stayed behind, battling it out with Leeroy until I quickly tossed a pokeball into the fray. The next one was much easier, a Wingull that was napping in a tree a little ways into Route 103. He was captured pretty easily as well, and didn't seem to put off by it.

We made camp in Route 102 for lunch, after not encountering anything for an hour. Leeroy ate happily, feeling great after his battles. The Wingull, who I had named Nigel, was also pretty happy about the free food. Banzai, the Poochyena, however, was sniffing his meal suspiciously.

"Oh, come on Banzai, it's not poisoned or anything." I grumbled.

The little gray and black pup glanced up at me with one red eye. "I know that." he snarled. "And excuse me if I'm not exactly pleased I got ripped from my home and dragged into some kind of sick game."

"It's not a game. And the quicker you get your act together, the better off you'll be. Trust me on that." I said. I turned to the other new recruit. "What about you Nigel? Any regrets?"

The white seagull swallowed noisily and shook his head. "Nope." he replied with what I swore was an Australian accent. "My life was pretty much driftin' through the days, doin' the same old thing. The way I see it, I can use a little excitement. Plus I can't complain about the food" he added, digging back in to his fish.

Banzai scoffed. "No wonder you're so laid back, _you_ didn't leave anyone behind." he pointed out. "But what's going to happen to Shenzi, and Scar, and Ed?"

"Ed? Seriously?" I asked, to bewildered by the name to not ask.

Banzai seemed to share my disapproval of the name. "It's all he can say, outside of giggling like a lunatic." he admitted. "Look, they weren't exactly the best people to hang around, but they were my friends. Now I'm here, and they're still out there. How am I supposed to live with myself?"

In all honesty I couldn't answer him. The little Poochyena was offering up a point that I hadn't ever thought of before. Everyone I had picked up in Sinnoh had either come willingly, or hadn't mentioned a family that they needed to protect. Lola had mentioned hers, as did Rose, but neither of them seemed to think that their absence would affect the family. It looked like Banzai's pack wasn't used to trainers randomly scooping up one or two of them.

"I seriously don't see what the problem is." Leeroy suddenly said. I looked over at him curiously while Banzai reacted much more violently.

"What was that, lab boy?" he barked, baring his fangs.

Leeroy shrugged. "Look, I can't say that I've been in the same place as you, cause like you just said, I was born in the lab. But all of the wild pokemon I've talked to say that they've had their friends or family taken away by trainers. And you know something? Some of them prefer it to being in the wild." Banzai scoffed and turned away, but Leeroy kept talking. "No, seriously. Think about it! You don't have to fight for food, worry about being eaten by someone bigger than you, and you have all kinds of new friends to travel with! And I get it, you're worried about your friends. So let me ask you this. Is your pack tough?"

Banzai growled at the insult, turning back to face Leeroy. "The toughest!" he boasted.

"Then stop worrying!" Leeroy fired back. "They can handle themselves if they're down a man. And when it's all said and done, I'm sure Nick would be more than happy to let you come back and visit them. Right Nick?" he asked, looking over at me.

I nodded, mostly at Banzai. "Sure thing. I'm probably going to be using Professor Birchs place as a ranch anyway for the pokemon I don't use on the team. When we've won, I'll be more than happy to send you back here."

Banzai was silent for a while, mulling our words over in his head. Finally, he nodded. "You're right. But there's one more thing I need to do." Our curious looks must have shown our confusion. "If I'm going to see my pack again, I'm going to have to help you win. It just so happens that I was the best fighter in the pack anyway. So don't hesitate to put me on the front lines."

I grinned, nodding. "Confidence like that is what's going to put us on the fast track to victory." I agreed.

A flapping of feathers drew our attention. "Well this has been a lovely chat, but I'd like to draw your attention to the _bandit stealing our food_!" Nigel cried.

We all snapped our heads around, looking at my bag and the food rations I had within. Currently halfway inside of it, rummaging around, was a Zigzagoon. Alerted from Nigels shout, the brown and white raccoon pulled itself free of the bag, a large bag of chips in its mouth. It stared at us through its black mask for a long time, holding our gaze, before turning and bolting into the woods.

"After him!" I cried, scrambling to my feet and snatching the bag up off of the ground. I wanted to get the food back, sure, but more importantly, that Zigzagoon was the first pokemon I had seen on this route. Leeroy and Banzai were quick to respond, the small dog barking excitedly at the prospect of a hunt. Nigel took to the air, following the little critters path through the trees. "Over here!" he would call, leading us right to him. Eventually, with Banzai and Leeroy working together, they managed to corner the crafty little rascal in a thicket. I caught up, breathing heavily from the chase. "All right you little thief, hand over the chips." I growled.

The raccoon pokemon hesitated, clearly not wanting to leave the snack behind. But, as Nigel flew down from the sky to land in a nearby tree, he seemed to realize that he was caught. He put the chips down, kicking them over to me.

"Good choice." I said, grabbing the chips. "But unfortunately, I need to catch as many pokemon as I can, and I know how useful a Zigzagoon can be. So, into the ball you go." I tossed the pokeball in question, watching it as it shook once, twice, three times and clicked. Grabbing the ball, I tossed it into the air. "Let's meet our new friend, shall we?" I asked the group as the Zigzagoon rematerialized.

"What the hell!? You can't go back on a deal like that! It's unsporting!" he yelled, immediately glaring at me. "I turned the chips over fair and square! You had to let me go!"

"Firstly, you stole the chips in the first place. They were never yours, and so you have no claim. Secondly, I never promised I wouldn't catch you if you gave them back. Thirdly, I can understand you, so watch the tone. And lastly, here." I said, tossing the bag to him. "If you're willing to sneak up on a trainer and his team for a bag of chips, you must be pretty hungry."

The Zigzagoon stared, moving his small beady eyes from me to the chips, then back to me. He took an experimental step forward, and upon seeing no reaction from me, rushed forward and grabbed the chips, devouring them.

"You didn't have to swipe them again." I chuckled as he dug in. "You've got a name, or do I have to give you one?"

"Th'name's Cooper." he managed to get out between bites. "I kinda work for the other wild pokemon, though I guess I work for you now."

"Work?" Leeroy asked. "What do you do?"

"I've heard of this guy." Banzai growled, walking over. "He's a thief, steals from the human town over there, gives the food to the wild pokemon. Also steals from other pokemon if he thinks they've done something wrong."

"Not think. Know." Cooper argued, having finished his chips. "And I didn't know you were captured Banzai. If I had, I would've sent flowers."

"Captured doesn't mean dead asshole." Banzai growled. Then he smirked. "Though with this guy, that might actually be the case."

"What? What does that mean?" Cooper asked. I launched into the explanation of the Nuzlocke, how the rules worked and why I could talk to my pokemon. "Okay, so now I'm stuck as your pokemon until the day I die, which might come that much sooner, all because I was the first thing to cross your path in this entire area?" he asked. I nodded, impressed with the way he had summed up the situation so easily.

He glanced down at the bag of chips laying in the grass. "That may have been the worst bag of chips I have ever eaten in my life." he said quietly.

I burst out laughing and started heading out of the clearing. "Come on Cooper, we've got some training to do. And I think you'll make a fine addition to the team."

Training went about as well as could be expected. Banzai, Nigel and Cooper were all fairly weak, especially when compared to Leeroy. They all needed to gain some levels before I would risk going further, and getting caught up in a trainer battle. I have to say, it went much better than the last time I started training. No deaths occurred, though Banzai scared me enough times that I swear some of my hair is permanently white. Before to long, all three were on par with Leeroy, and the water-type himself had gained some levels, learning Water Gun in the process.

Night fell on the area and I decided that we should call it quits. We traveled back to Odale Town and booked a room in the center for the night. I flopped down on the bed, glad that I could once again rent the smaller rooms since my pokemon weren't the same size as me or bigger. I looked down at the floor, seeing the four of them all piled together. It was easy to tell them apart, brown and black fur standing out against slippery blue skin and white feathers. They had only really known each other for a short time, and they were already growing closer together as a team and a family. I turned the light off and rolled over in the bed, ready for sleep.

That night I dreamed of fierce battles, raging storms and piercing yellow eyes.


End file.
